Settle in for a chilly winter around D.C., but snowfall looks modest

Winter’s already teasing the region, as the week began with a chill in the air. And the real thing isn’t far behind.

After a run of mostly mild, low-snow winters, last year broke the pattern with slightly cooler-than-normal temperatures and near-average snowfall. This year, we expect a repeat of the chill — but with a bit less snow overall.

Our forecast calls for 8 to 14 inches of snow in the D.C. area, and up to a foot and a half in colder spots north and west of the city. That’s a touch below normal, but still more than what’s fallen in six of the past 10 winters.

This projected chillier pattern, especially early in the season, extends a streak of below-normal months dating back to August — and could mark the first back-to-back colder-than-average winters in a decade.

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